Texas Industrial Market · Houston
Houston industrial space for lease.
What's available, what it costs, and how CRECO works the market.
In short: Houston is the largest industrial market in Texas and one of the top 5 in the US — Northwest 290 and the Ship Channel anchor 700M+ SF of inventory, vacancy across the metro runs ~6-9% depending on submarket, and asking rents on modern bulk distribution land in the $8-12/SF NNN range.
Full-Service Brokerage
Who CRECO represents in Houston
CRECO represents tenants, landlords, owners, and investors — for lease and for sale — across retail (including restaurant space and pad sites), office (including medical office), industrial, flex, and land.
Tenants & buyers
Businesses leasing or buying retail, restaurant, office, medical office, industrial, or flex space in Houston — site selection, negotiation, and lease or purchase execution. Tenant rep is typically paid by the landlord.
Landlords & owners
Owners leasing or selling commercial property and land in Houston — pricing, marketing, tenant and buyer sourcing, negotiation, and property management.
Sellers & investors
Investment sales and acquisitions, 1031 exchange replacement property, and hold/sell analysis for commercial investors in Houston and across Texas.
Intermediary, when authorized
When both parties authorize it in writing, CRECO can act as an intermediary between landlord and tenant or seller and buyer, as Texas law permits.
Key takeaways
- Houston is one of the deepest industrial markets in the US — for tenants, that means there are almost always more options than time to evaluate.
- Northwest Houston (290 corridor) is the primary modern bulk distribution submarket; the Ship Channel is the heavy industrial / petrochemical-adjacent leader.
- Cold storage commands a 30-60% rent premium over comparable dry inventory, and the development pipeline is light relative to demand.
- Build-to-suit pencils across Northwest and Southwest corridors at 25 acres+ for credit tenants needing 250K SF or more.
- The Energy Corridor is the best flex / light industrial submarket — closer in, with better demographics for office-component buildouts.
Market Context
The Houston industrial market today.
Houston is the largest industrial commercial real estate market in Texas and one of the top 5 in the US by absorption. The depth is the story: 700M+ SF of inventory means that almost any industrial requirement — modern bulk distribution, flex, cold storage, manufacturing, special-use — has multiple credible options. That depth also means the negotiating leverage on the tenant side is real if you know where to push.
Submarket dynamics are distinct enough to matter. Northwest Houston (the 290 / Beltway 8 corridor) is the dominant modern bulk distribution submarket — strong absorption, deep landlord pool, the bulk of last-mile e-commerce activity. The Ship Channel is heavy industrial and petrochemical-adjacent logistics; it's the single most important industrial submarket in Texas by economic impact, and the rents reflect the access premium. Southwest Houston supports a mix of bulk distribution and food distribution. Energy Corridor flex is closer in with better demographics, often pulling double duty as light industrial / office-component for service businesses.
For 2026 specifically: the bulk distribution pipeline that flooded the market in 2022-2023 has been absorbed; new construction starts are slower; and several Northwest assets that traded at thin cap rates in 2021-2022 are now in the secondary trade window. For investors, that's the opportunity. For tenants, the leverage is more in legacy Class B inventory where landlords are quietly running renovation / repositioning math.
Where to Look
Houston industrial submarkets we cover.
Northwest Houston (290 corridor)
Modern bulk distribution
Beltway 8 / 290 corridor — modern bulk distribution, big-box logistics, last-mile e-commerce. Strongest absorption in the metro. The default landing zone for new logistics requirements.
Ship Channel
Heavy industrial + port logistics
Petrochemical-adjacent logistics, port-related distribution, special-use industrial. Highest economic impact submarket in Texas industrial — rents reflect the access premium.
Southwest Houston
Bulk + food distribution
Bulk distribution + food distribution concentration. Slightly cheaper basis than Northwest with strong fundamentals. Solid mid-market value play.
Energy Corridor
Flex / light industrial
Closer-in flex with better demographics. Often pulls double duty as light industrial + office-component. Lower clear heights, smaller bays — fits service businesses.
North Houston / The Woodlands
Suburban flex + R&D
Suburban flex + light industrial supporting The Woodlands corporate base. R&D-adjacent industrial, medical-device manufacturing.
East Houston / Pasadena
Heavy industrial + value
Heavy industrial concentration + Ship Channel-adjacent. Lower basis than the Ship Channel itself; opportunity for users needing rail access at value pricing.
CRECO Approach
How we work Houston industrial deals.
Tenant rep on Houston industrial is where the depth of the market pays. CRECO runs structured processes that filter the 50+ candidate properties down to the 4-5 that actually fit — right column spacing, right dock count, right clear height, right zoning, right truck court depth, right access to the rail or the highway the operation actually needs. Then we negotiate aggressively across that competitive set. Tenants close meaningfully better than the asking-rate average.
For Houston industrial owners, our owner services practice covers hold/sell/reposition analysis, off-market deal flow for acquisition, and disposition strategy that leverages CRECO's Texas-wide investor network. Several recent assignments have closed with 1031 capital from Austin and San Antonio buyers — cross-Texas deal flow is one of the structural advantages of working with a Texas-wide broker.
Investment advisory on Houston industrial works because the inventory is deep enough that there's always a credible angle — value-add on older bulk in a strengthening submarket, stabilized Class A as a yield play in a cap-rate-firming environment, or build-to-suit development with a pre-leased credit tenant. CRECO's role is to match the capital to the angle.
Why CRECO for Houston industrial.
- Industrial is one of CRECO's deepest practice areas — Texas-wide depth across bulk, flex, cold, and special-use
- Off-market inventory across Northwest, Ship Channel, Southwest, and the Energy Corridor
- Direct relationships with the institutional landlord rep teams on the major Houston industrial assets
- Represents tenants, landlords/owners, and investors — including tenant rep for Houston industrial users (typically paid by the landlord)
- Owner services for Houston industrial investors with institutional-quality reporting
- Cross-Texas 1031 buyer flow — Houston cap rates often outperform comparable Austin / San Antonio product
- Our team works every engagement directly
Available Now
Houston industrial listings represented by CRECO
Live CRECO inventory for industrial space in the Houston area. Tenant-rep clients also get access to every other option on the market.
Let’s find your industrial space in Houston
CRECO searches the full Houston industrial market for tenant-rep clients — including off-market space that never gets posted. Tell us your size, submarket and timing, or call (210) 817-3443.
A lot of Texas industrial and warehouse space never reaches a listing site. Owners who haven’t gone to market, space coming available next quarter, and options we hear about from other brokers first — those are the ones worth a phone call.
Zachary Stovall is as straight shooting and upstanding a person as you will find. I definitely recommend you use him for any of your commercial property management needs.
Trip Worden
Review on Google
Mr. Stovall and team are stand up people that do what they say they will do! They are knowledgeable and very capable of assisting you with your commercial property needs.
Michael Stuart
Local Guide · Review on Google
“Great company.”
Houston industrial
Looking for industrial space in Houston?
Tell us your size and timing and our team will send matching Houston industrial options — including space that is not publicly listed.


Zack Stovall (Broker) & Brian Blanco (Director of Leasing) — one of us replies personally
5.0 on Google · 38 reviewsFAQ
Houston industrial space — FAQ
What are current industrial lease rates and vacancy in Houston?
What industrial space is available in Houston right now?
Which Houston submarkets are best for industrial space?
Does CRECO represent tenants or landlords for Houston industrial deals?
How do I contact CRECO about industrial space in Houston?
Leasing, buying, or selling industrial property in Houston?
Tenants: we filter the market to the 4-5 properties worth a tour, typically at no cost to you. Owners and investors: we lease and sell industrial property in Houston.
Send me industrial optionsSources & methodology
Market figures on this page — rents, vacancy, absorption, cap rates, pricing, and inventory — are CRECO market estimates, as of June 2026. They are not attributed to a third-party research provider or data service, have not been independently verified, and are approximate; published market reports may differ. For current figures on a specific property or submarket, talk to our team at (210) 817-3443 or info@crecotx.com.